Glow-in-the-Dark Restaurant Coming to South Side

A new glow-in-the-dark restaurant, Amorsito, is planned for the city’s Polonia neighborhood.

The restaurant, located at 2936 S. 13th St., will have a menu that includes Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Jamaican, soul, Halal and breakfast food. Some menu highlights include nachos made from Doritos and fried green plantains.

“That sounds like a very large menu, but we want to give variety,” said Ricardo Perez, the proposed restaurant’s operator. “There’s so much diversity and different type of cultures in Milwaukee. Why not serve that?”

The restaurant will also have frozen candy cocktails and mocktails that feature bright, neon colors and are sometimes topped with fruit and whipped cream and garnished with sour candy.

The owner, Daniel Aaron Casas, describes the business as a “family fun, quick service establishment that has cocktail beverages,” on the license application. Perez said the restaurant culture then shifts at 10 p.m., when it transitions to be more a “a club type of atmosphere” where patrons must be 25 or older.

“We don’t allow kids because you should be in bed after 10 p.m.,” Perez said.

The pair plans to have entertainment including karaoke, retro gaming, card games, glow-in-the-dark painting and board games at Amorsito.

Perez said that he wants Amorsito to be a place that can bring people together.

“We really want it to be a place for the whole community,” Perez said.

Casas and Perez both have experience in the restaurant industry. Perez started working at McDonald’s at 14 and eventually worked his way up to manager. He then became manager at IHOP before working at the iPic movie theater at Bayshore with Casas. Perez said that this varied experience helped the team come up with a concept that includes entertainment and dining in one business.

Amorsito will operate from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Monday-Thursday, 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. on Saturday. Perez hopes the restaurant will be open by September 15.

The commercial space that Amorsito will occupy is in a 1922 building with six commercial units and apartments above. It is owned by Slobodan Pavlovic, according to city assessment records. The cafe will be next to La Lunchera Restaurante & Taqueria.

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